


love is on the radio

by seonho



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Pining, Secret Admirer, johnny has a radio show, jungwoo carries a torch for him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2021-01-31 10:09:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21444505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seonho/pseuds/seonho
Summary: Jungwoo’s blood runs cold.“Y-You mean to tell me,” He starts, after a minute of staring at his friend. “That all this time that I’ve been sending those cheesy, borderline horny things to Night Night, Johnny has known all along that it was me?”.In which Jungwoo doesn't know how to tell Johnny he likes him, so instead, he decides to start sending in anonymous messages on the radio show he DJ's, NCTU's Night Night. He has no idea that his secret confessions aren't so anonymous after all.
Relationships: Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Lee Taeyong, Kim Jungwoo/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Comments: 44
Kudos: 374
Collections: NCT Rarepair





	love is on the radio

**Author's Note:**

> > **PROMPT #034 **  
character A works at the university radio station. the station has a number that students can call or send messages to. character A always announces that “the messages are anonymous” before reading them on air. character B mistakes this to mean that the radio station doesn’t know who sends the messages when in fact they just meant that they keep it anonymous on air. character B then sends in several secret admirer messages saying how much they like character A, unknowing that character A knows who he is all along.
> 
>   

> 
> this prompt and this ship are very precious to me, and i hope i did it justice. title inspired by the mcfly anthem ['love is on the radio'](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eje0Ek_9K_o)  
despite the use of 'hyung', i don't mean to set this in any specific location!

Jungwoo can’t wait for 10:45pm to come. 

He’s been stuck in this god forsaken library under the yellow fluorescent lights for about 13 hours now. The only moments he left this table the entire afternoon involved peeing, stretching his legs while having a quick walk around, and on what was probably the highest point of his day, going across the street to the coffee place and getting himself and his study buddies a recharge. 

It’s midterms week, and tomorrow is the single most stressful test of Jungwoo’s entire academic career so far. He  _ needs  _ to pass this, and it’s stressful that his final grade relies so much on his performance on a single midterm, but alas, there’s nothing else he can do but study his ass off, and that’s what he’s been doing. Dragging his three best friends (Jaehyun, Mark and Lucas) to join him was easier than he expected; they might not share majors or even be on the same year, but all find common ground on being stressed and prone to procrastination, and were all willing to make space on their schedule to cram down on the last day before it all goes to shit. 

Jungwoo can’t stand looking at his microbiology book any longer, and he’s so tired he’s not convinced he’s even absorbing any information at this point, so he just lays down his cheek on it and keeps staring at his phone screen, waiting for the minutes to turn so he can finally leave. He’s restless, craving for the one thing he knows will make him feel better and take his mind off of things, but he owes to himself staying until the  _ last _ minute, knowing that he didn’t give up and that he did his best for this final. So he stays, bored out of his mind, and waits with the background noise from Jaehyun’s pen scribbling against paper and the turning pages from Lucas’ book. 

10:36pm. 10:40pm. 10:43pm. 

As soon as the last number hits five, Jungwoo sits up so suddenly that he startles everyone else in the table, throwing them an apologetic smile right after. He starts quickly gathering his things, throwing them on his own backpack half haphazardly and a little bit too loudly. 

Lucas looks at him like a surprised, kicked puppy. “What? You’re leaving already? I still have so much to cover, I thought we’d stay the night!” 

“Sorry bud, I gotta go” Jungwoo says, genuinely so. “I have to be in the dorms by 11pm for something” 

“What? You have a dick appointment tonight, right before a test?” Mark furrows his brows, his cute little round glasses on the tip of his nose. 

Jungwoo doesn’t even get to answer before Jaehyun snorts, not even glancing up from his work. “He  _ wishes _ . Johnny’s show starts at 11pm, and he needs to be at home to jack off to it”. 

Jungwoo turns furiously red at Jaehyun’s insinuation, if only because they’re in public and someone could’ve heard. “Shut up, stop being gross”

Mark looks even more confused, a little bit miffed. “You’re leaving early for  _ Johnny _ ? You know his show is on like, every week right? It won’t kill you to miss it one day”. 

Jungwoo knows that, but listening to NCTU’s Night Night is the highlight of his week, and this one is in desperate need of  _ something  _ to make it less crappy. He can’t tell his friends that though, not without completely exposing himself to Mark and Lucas who can’t keep secrets for shit, so he tries to be vague. “I’m really tired anyway, I need a shower and some food. Besides, Johnny’s our friend and it’s nice to be supportive, you should try it sometimes.” 

“I support Johnny! I commented on his Instagram pictures just this morning!” Lucas defends himself, still pouting. “His show is just too… quiet”. 

_ That’s the point, dumbass _ , Jungwoo thinks to himself, but doesn’t say it so it doesn’t upset the younger even more. He playfully rolls his eyes instead, and swings his backpack on his shoulder, getting ready to leave. “You should still tune in sometimes. If you sent in a song request I’m sure he would play it”. 

Jungwoo makes sure to bid them all goodbye with good luck hugs before he leaves, and takes the trash laying around from previous snacks with him. The moment he steps outside the building is like life is breathed inside his lungs again, the feeling of complete freedom from a place he never wants to see anymore (even though he’ll need to be back in two days for his next midterm). He knows there’s more than enough time for him to get to his dorm, shower and even start cooking something before the show starts, but the excitement is enough that he’s keying in to get inside his silent dorm in three minutes instead of the usual five (yes, he’s lucky enough that his dorm is right around the corner from a library, and yes, he rubs it in his friend’s face constantly). 

He sleeps on a single dorm, which means it’s an even smaller room than usual, but guarantees privacy and most importantly, his own shower. The scalding water hits on his shoulders and immediately starts to relax him, washing off the stress on his muscles and putting the student in a more relaxed mind space; when he steps out of it, 10 minutes later, there’s barely any thought of tomorrow’s test left on his mind at all, and all he wants is to make some ramen and get under his covers with his laptop. 

It’s 10:58pm, so Jungwoo pulls up the website on his laptop and sets it on the floor, next to where he’s taking out the things to start on his poor excuse for dinner. There’s a still image on the screen at this point, indicating the broadcast is starting soon, and Jungwoo is only up to connecting the water boiler to the plug when the end of a commercial break starts playing, the screen now showing the small studio on the other side of campus. It’s a few seconds later when Johnny steps into the picture, his bright smile and a cup of coffee on his hand, and Jungwoo’s is breathless at the image. 

Jungwoo has known he was bound to crush on Johnny the moment they met for the first time, a year ago on a dinner with his friends. Mark and Jaehyun have been talking about the graduate student for  _ months _ ; apparently, he was Taeyong’s high school best friend, which means he was also friends with Mark (who’s Taeyong cousin) growing up, and eventually made really close friends with Jaehyun as well back when Taeyong and the dimpled younger went out a few times. It was weird, having someone be so present in your closest friend’s lives and not actually knowing them, and at that point it was long overdue for the man to be invited to hang out with their big, dysfunctional group. 

Despite how overwhelming they can be when they’re all together, the seven of them, Johnny fit himself in like he was always there from the get go, smiling brightly at everyone and making easy conversation even with the people he hadn't met yet, including Jungwoo. The older was polite and kind, always offering to get more drinks and insisting on footing the bill at the end of the night, but he was also light hearted and really funny, adapting himself to both Doyoung’s sharp teasing and Donghyuck and Lucas’ endless energy like it was nothing. Very insistently on the back of Jungwoo’s mind at the time, Johnny was also the most attractive person he’s ever met: tall, broad and striking, he was the whole package, and so it was inevitable that by the end of the night, Jungwoo was already sinking. 

He became somewhat of a common recurrence in their group of friends; though he doesn’t show up at gatherings as often as the undergrads due to his packed schedule, he makes an effort to, and he’s also pretty active on their group thread, making sure to keep up with all of his friend’s lives, like the considerate friend he is. Jungwoo has had time to get to know Johnny better, to share long conversations over a few beers in the balcony while their friends sleep, but his huge, ugly crush was, ironically enough, the reason why he’s not as close to the older as he could. They’re definitely friends, checking up on each other and being supportive, texting every now or then when they see something that remind of the other, but when Jungwoo thinks of his relationship with everyone else in the group, and Johnny’s as well to be honest, there’s clearly some tension between the two that always stopped them from being truly  _ close _ : almost every time the two of them hang out it’s in group functions, never just the two of them unless they run into each other on campus and have a few minutes to spare, and Jungwoo is convinced he’s to blame for that. Johnny is never awkward with him, never anything but attentive, nice and affectionate, but he knows the way he’s shy, blushier and easily flustered doesn’t go unnoticed by the older, who’s probably just too kind to mention. 

When Johnny announced to everyone he was starting a new show on the school radio, Thursday’s from 11pm-12pm, Jungwoo was elated. He was happy for his friend, obviously; the older had been working on the radio ever since he was an undergrad, wishing for his own show at some point, and now he finally had it, and on a time slot that still allowed him to keep up his day job and school responsibilities. But apart from that, Jungwoo was more than excited that for once a week, he now got to spend an entire hour with Johnny, hearing his voice (and seeing his face, once they started broadcasting it online) and enjoying his company, even if far away. It might not be the same as seeing Johnny face to face, but it has its advantages: Jungwoo is free to freak out over his crush as much as he wants, only himself to see it. 

It seems like Johnny might know how much Jungwoo needs this tonight, because he came into the studio looking like every bit the man of Woo’s dreams: he’s wearing a long sleeved turtleneck shirt, stripped in black and white, the sleeves long enough to give him sweater paws (which is honestly adorable on a man his size), his hair is held down by a blue beanie, and to finish off the look, he has wired frames perched on his nose, despite the fact Jungwoo knows he has perfect eyesight. 

Jungwoo lets out a long, hopelessly enamored sigh, and is glad no one’s around to hear.

The commercial break is coming to an end, and the vignette for ‘Night Night’ comes on, Johnny taking one last sip on his coffee before he starts. Jungwoo brings his knees to his chest, hooking his chin on the top of his knee and patiently waiting for the older’s comforting voice. 

“Let us not be surprised when we have to face difficulties. When the wind blows on a tree, the roots stretch and grow the stronger, let it be so with us. Let us not be weaklings, yielding to every wind that blows, but strong in spirit to resist. NCTU’S Night Night”. 

Jungwoo smiles at the opening quote, letting himself be warmed up by the DJ’s words and smooth tone. He already has an idea of what the theme for the night might be, and the junior can’t believe how perfect it is. 

“Good evening everyone, I’m your DJ for tonight as I’ve been for the last year, Johnny.” He smiles, giving the camera a small wave of greeting. “The quote I’ve read on the opening is by Amy Carmichael, and it has brought me comfort throughout many rough nights, which is why I picked to read you today. Some of you already may have an idea what’s the theme for tonight’s show, because I’m sure it’s what everyone has on their minds right now: midterms. 

Right now, many of you are probably studying as you listen, feeling stressed, worried about how you’re doing and how you’ll do in your next tests, and this can be a really shitty time. College is emotionally draining for every student, and it’s easy to find yourself wondering if you can do it, if what you’re doing is enough and if you’ll be able to get through this. I’ve been there many times before, and I know how scary and lonely it is, and how helpful it can be to have someone to listen. 

That’s why, for tonight, I’ll be your ear to hear, and your shoulder to lay on. Send me your worries, your stress, advice to other students, or what gives you comfort when times are hard. It’s anonymous, which means I won’t read your name on air, so feel free to open your heart on a judgment free space. I hope that even if just for one hour, I can lend small comfort to each of you”. 

Johnny starts listing the ways you can send in your own message, but Jungwoo can’t stop smiling widely as he looks at his crush and wonders just how  _ perfect  _ Johnny can be. Kind, thoughtful, comforting Johnny, who no longer has to stress over midterms but is still so mindful of his listeners, so in tune with what they need from him. Jungwoo knows his friend is not the only one in charge of deciding the themes for the show, but has a huge say in it, and even if it wasn’t his idea he definitely wrote the opening, making his words even warmer.

The first song of the night is Shawn Mendes’ A Little Too Much, and Jungwoo’s water is finally boiling. He opens his ramen cup and carefully pours the water inside, quickly closing the lid again so the noodles can properly cook. He hasn’t heard this song in a few years, but even if he doesn’t understand all of the lyrics, just listening to the soft guitar tunes and watching Johnny bob his head as he softly mouths the lyrics is something Jungwoo finds relaxing enough. 

Once the song is over and Jungwoo ramen is done, he carefully moves everything back to his bed, snuggling under his favorite fluffy blanket Taeyong gave him last christmas so he can keep watching as he eats. Johnny’s broadcasts are usually quiet, but tonight’s seem to be even more so: Johnny speaks more softly than normal, so completely focused on the messages he’s reading that he barely looks at the camera to goof out. The atmosphere isn’t serious though, not actually; Johnny is mindful and always has kind words and advice for his listeners concerns, but he’s also good humored and doesn’t let the mood dampen: it’s supposed to be a comforting, hopeful show, and he makes sure of it by boldly making his cheesy jokes, even if it makes him blush and laugh at himself afterwards. 

A lot of messages come in, most in the same general topic of how demanding academics are, how hard it’s becoming to keep up with people and things you love, stuff Jungwoo deeply relates to at this point considering he hasn’t called his parents in weeks and can’t remember the last time he binge watched something on Netflix. People mention episodes too, Johnny adding his own every now or then, but many listeners just write in to offer advice and supportive words. More rarely, but equally as heartwarming, are the people who send in messages to thank their friends for being their safe spot when things are hard, and giving each other strength. 

This is the best Jungwoo felt in a week, and any trace of guilt for leaving his study session is long gone, replaced by the warmth of each and every one of Johnny’s words settling on his chest. More than just an hour for Jungwoo to look at his crush’s cute face, Night Night has become one of the few things that truly relaxes him, touches his heart and carefully eases the burden of his day to day anxieties. Jungwoo can’t even explain why or how the show has come to be such a significant part of what gets him through his week, but it is, and not for the first time and definitely not for the last, he’s filled with a sense of gratitude. 

Soon it’s time for the second song of the night, which means the show is at it’s halfway point; Johnny reminds everyone of how to send in messages, before the tunes of Troye Sivan’s ‘EASE’ start to play. Jungwoo smiles, remembering Johnny’s bright, curious eyes as Jaehyun played him this album the last time all of them hung out.

Johnny is talking with someone behind the camera as the song plays, and he laughs openly at something they’re saying, in that characteristic way that makes two tiny dimples appear on his cheekbones and turn his eyes into half-moons. Jungwoo’s heart soars at the precious sight, and the boy allows himself the small selfish wish that that smile was directed at  _ him _ . His fingers itch to send the older a text, just to let him know he’s listening in, but he knows Johnny’s not likely to look at his phone before the show ends, and Jungwoo wants to _ see _ him. It’s when the DJ focuses on looking at the screen in front of him, sipping on his coffee as he reads something, that the perfectly obvious idea finally hits Jungwoo. 

He has no idea why he’s never written in for Night Night; Johnny usually asks for episodes related to the show’s themes, but even if Jungwoo has something he could say, he never actually gone through the effort of doing it. Maybe it’s because tonight’s theme particularly speaks to him, maybe it’s because Johnny looks cuter than usual, or maybe it’s just a short moment of bravery induced by his study melted brain, but Jungwoo scrolls down the website and clicks the link for submitting a message. 

His heart is hammering on his chest, but the sophomore grins to himself in excitement as he logins in with his school homepage profile, a required step to send in a message. Afraid his small bravado might run out, he skimms over all the disclaimer text above the box and immediately clicks down on it, beginning to type. 

There’s not much time if he wants the message to come in before the song ends, so he doesn’t spend as much time as he could re-reading it and instead hits send just as Johnny puts on his headphones, getting ready to start again. There’s a thrill coursing through his body, high on the idea of sending in something that only he knows he wrote and getting to see Johnny’s live reaction to it (that is, if Johnny picks his message, which he’s deeply hoping for). 

“And we’re back. The song you just heard was EASE, by Troye Sivan. It’s a song a really treasured friend of mine recommended me, and I find it’s really touching, especially when I’m feeling homesick” Johnny explains, and Jungwoo thinks it’s a shame Jaehyun isn’t listening in. “Right now, I’ll continue reading your messages, so keep sending them in”

Johnny hums as he scrolls down the board (he’s doing that thing with his mouth that makes him look like a polite cat, and Jungwoo wants to break down in sobs), reading messages every few seconds and giving it more or less attention depending on its content. Minutes pass and Jungwoo is already losing hope of his message being found, which would turn out to be very anti-climatic with the big deal he made about sending it in the first place. He watches as Johnny just keeps scrolling down and down, until he seems to stop suddenly, eyes widening comically; the grad student does an obvious double take on what’s on his screen, and a small confused and surprised smile threatens his lips. 

“This message was sent in a few minutes ago, and it says, ‘You asked what was comforting to us when things are hard, but for me, hyung is my comfort. Seeing your smile, hearing your beautiful voice and laughing at your stupid jokes is what brings me warmth and keeps me going, so tonight, like every night since we’ve met, I’m thankful to be able to like you a little bit more every single day’.” Johnny finishes off with a shy smile, glancing at the camera and scratching at the back of his neck. Jungwoo immediately notices how red his friend’s cheeks are, and it’s dizzying to know  _ his  _ words are responsible for it. 

“Well, I-” He laughs, embarrassed, and then takes a few seconds to re-start. “To whoever sent in this message, I’m absolutely flattered. You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear I’m someone who can bring you strength, so thank you.” He then looks straight into the camera, his face still flushed but now matched with a cheeky, almost confident smile. “And as for the ‘liking me part’, text me”. 

He laughs right after, moving on to the next message, but Jungwoo’s ears are ringing, stomach taking backward flips. He knows Johnny meant the last part as a joke, a flirty remark to whoever the anonymous messenger was, but knowing  _ he  _ was the one to write the words that got the older to blush and fluster fills Jungwoo with a thrill and a sense of pride. He barely pays any attention to the rest of the show, body vibrating in pure giddiness, and the student’s mind is already far way with ideas of other messages he can send in the next time. 

Once the show is over and Jungwoo is tucked in under his covers, he feels the exhaustion of the day start catching up to him; he doesn’t want to fall asleep though, trying to cling on to the feeling on his chest for a little bit longer. Before he can stop himself, his phone in on his hands and he’s typing out something to send Johnny. 

**me** ****  
**[12:14am]  
** hyung~~~ i watched the show tonight! thank you for always having words of comfort <3

It takes less than ten seconds after he’s hit send for the reading receipt to arrive and the “...” bubble to come up. Johnny keeps typing for a while, and Jungwoo wonders what he could be saying that takes this much time to type out. 

**johnny hyung 💘  
** **[12:16am]   
** woo!!  
thank you for tuning in, you’re the best.   
did you like the messages i picked? 

Jungwoo stops, furrowing his brows; this texts aren’t nearly long enough to warrant how long they took to be written, and that means Johnny probably typed it out and erased it a few times. He wants to overthink it, like he does best, but the boy is also too tired to properly make sense of it so he just types out a reply. 

**me  
** **[12:17am]  
** i did!   
everyone’s messages were really kind and thoughtful tonight, it made me feel all warm inside  
my favorite were the funny stories tho   
i laughed a lot at the girl who went to her finals dressed in the previous night party costume lmao 

Once again, Johnny takes his time in replying, and it’s not helping that Jungwoo is so drained that he keeps drifting off for a few seconds at a time.

**johnny hyung 💘  
** **[12:20am]  
** hahahaha  
yeah, i know what you mean  
tonight had really funny ones too  
some touching ones as well  😊  
anyways, it’s getting late woo and i know you have a test tomorrow morning  
go to bed! get a nice breakfast when you wake up!   
you must be nervous but i know you’ll do amazing, jungwoo. 

Jungwoo smiles tiredly at Johnny’s attentiviness, remembering his test even though the sophomore only mentioned in their group chat. He takes a deep breath and lets himself squeal into the pillow for a little bit, holding onto the fond words. 

**me  
** **[12:21am]  
** you remembered ;-;   
thank you hyung~ you’re the kindest <3   
i’m already in bed, i’ll go to sleep right now. 

**johnny hyung 💘  
** **[12:21am]  
** of course i did! it’s a big test for you   
text me afterwards to tell me how it went, ok?   
good night, woo. sleep tight <3

Jungwoo whimpers a little at the last text, reading it again and again. Johnny has never sent him a heart before, and even if it’s probably just him being his naturally sweet self, can you blame Jungwoo for feeling himself melt a little bit more? 

**me   
** **[12:23am]  
**good night, hyung <3 

Jungwoo does well on the test, or at least he figures he didn’t do  _ terrible _ , which is enough. Still, sitting on that chair for two hours sucks all the life out of him, and there’s nothing more frustrating than the inevitable prospect of having to walk across campus to his next class in half an hour. 

There’s a coffee shop on the path he usually takes, and Jungwoo always avoids it because he knows he’s not actually hungry, just craving sugar; not this morning though, because he figures if there was a time to spoil himself, today is the day. He walks inside and immediately gets in line, scrolling through his Instagram feed while he waits. 

The barista looks just as exhausted as Jungwoo feels, and there’s a shared understanding smile between the two before Jungwoo starts listing his diabetes inducing drink order, with a Strawberry Donut on the side. He’s getting out his credit card to pay when he feels a hand on his shoulder and someone else stepping by his side. 

“Your order is almost as worst as Yongie’s. The both of you will probably lose all your teeth in ten years time” Johnny teases at a confused Jungwoo, before glancing back at the cashier and adding his own Americano order and thrusting his own card to pay.

Jungwoo comes out of his surprised sturpur to widen his eyes, grabbing at Johnny’s arm. “H-hyung, no, you don’t need to pay for me, I-” 

“Relax, it’s my treat since you just got out of a stressful test” Johnny smiles, taking the receipt from the cashier. Once they both step out of the line to wait for their drinks, the older looks at Jungwoo again, still smiling. “How was it, by the way?”

Jungwoo sighs, knowing there’s no point in fighting Johnny when it comes to paying for stuff; he’s as generous as he is stubborn about it. “It was fine, I think?” 

“You think?” Johnny raises his eyebrows. 

“I- I mean, there were a few hard questions but I guess I managed to answer all of them so, you know, I’m hoping it went ok” Jungwoo babbles, nervous. It’s always like this, around Johnny; he either doesn’t say anything or he says too much, constantly feeling self-conscious about being around his crush. 

Johnny chuckles, nodding. “I know how it is, but I’m certain you did great. You’re one of the smartest people I know, Woo”. 

Jungwoo hopes to the heavens his cheeks aren’t too red, despite the fact he can feel his face warm up at the compliment. “Thank you, but being the smart one is Doie hyung’s thing. I’m just trying my best”

“You say that, but a little bird told me you have a 3.8 GPA?” Johnny says with a teasing grin, poking Jungwoo’s arm with his pointer finger. “Sounds pretty smart for me.”

The younger knows it was probably Lucas who rattled him, the older always eager to boost Jungwoo’s moral by bragging about his academic skills, even if Jungwoo himself is a little bit reluctant in sharing it. “That doesn’t mean anything, I-”

“Jungwoo,” Johnny interrupts him, now looking straight into the younger’s eyes and effectively getting him to shut down. “Just take the compliment. Smart people are very attractive, you know?”. 

If Jungwoo was blushing before, having Johnny  _ flirt  _ with him out of nowhere, for no reason at all, is certainly enough to make sure his face is redder than a cherry. Johnny knows it too, with the way he laughs afterwards, and Jungwoo whines, pushing his hyung’s shoulder. “Stop it, hyung!”. 

Their drinks are called, and Johnny hands Jungwoo his frappuccino and the donut. “Do you have a class right now? Where?” 

“Yeah, in the Linguistics Building” Jungwoo replies before taking a sip of his drink, hoping the cold cools down his face. 

“Want me to walk you?” Johnny asks, always the gentleman. “We haven’t really spoken in a while, I wanna catch up.” 

It’s still a fifteen minutes walk to the building, and Jungwoo doubts Johnny has anything to do in that area considering he doesn’t take morning classes anymore; if anything, he might be on the way out of the campus, to the middle school he teaches a few classes at. Still, Johnny  _ offered  _ and it’d be rude to outright refuse it, right? 

(There’s also the part of Jungwoo that is elated at the idea of having his crush pay for his drink and then walk him to class, like they’re _ together _ ; there might not be a peck at the end of the walk, but if he’s lucky Johnny could hug him and that’s honestly enough daydreaming fuel for a month.) 

“If it’s not a huge bother for you” Jungwoo smiles sweetly, running his hand through his hair and hoping it doesn’t look completely insane from pulling at it during the test. 

“It’ll be my pleasure” Johnny says softly, and Jungwoo’s heart skips a beat at the way he’s being looked at. 

Even if Jungwoo is still a bit nervous around the older, Johnny fills up any possibly awkward silence with his endless chatter and outgoing personality. It seems like his request to catch up was genuine, because he’s very interested in hearing about how Jungwoo has been doing lately; the younger is sure Johnny’s certainly not that fascinated by his Intro to Veterinary Medicine class, but he still listens to Jungwoo’s long explanations with all of his attention, asking questions and genuinely trying to understand it. It reminds Jungwoo that even if he’s head over heels for this guy and anything he does makes the younger combust into flames, Johnny is still  _ Johnny _ (easy, comfortable and so endlessly likeable), and talking to him just feels natural, no space for nerves when Johnny beams at him under the morning sun. 

There’s something about this morning though, something Jungwoo can’t quite put his finger in. Maybe it’s his own mind tricking him after last night anonymous confession, but Jungwoo can’t help but constantly notice on the corner of his eyes, the way Johnny is gazing at him with so much fondness it’s almost overwhelming. Johnny has always been sweet to Jungwoo, looking after him and fawning over how adorable he thinks his dongsaeng is, but it’s never been like  _ this _ ; right now, Johnny’s affection drips into his tender tone, like he’s afraid to scare the younger away, and the way he keeps sneaking compliments that definitely toe the line into flirty is not something Jungwoo’s used to, considering how flustered he keeps getting every time. 

Jungwoo is properly walked all the way to the door of his class, and they still hang out for a few minutes in the outside, Jungwoo leaning against the doorframe as he toys with the empty cup on his hand. Johnny is telling him about the prank two of his students pulled on him last week, and Jungwoo wants nothing less than walk into this class and leave this perfect thirty minutes with Johnny behind. 

“I think you have to get in, before you miss attendance” Johnny smiles, pointing with his head towards the class. Jungwoo sighs, but stands straight again to say his goodbyes. 

“I know, I know. Thanks for walking me though, this was really nice” He beams. 

“It was, wasn’t it? We should go for a proper coffee one of this days” Johnny beams back.

Jungwoo’s heart stops at that, but before his mind can go crazy with fantasies about it being a date, he reminds himself this is just how nice Johnny is and that there’s no signs that this is more than a coffee between friends. It still makes his heart rush though, so he stutters out a high pitched “S-sure! Let me know!”. 

Johnny hugs him, like Jungwoo expected, and the younger allows himself to hold just a few seconds longer before he can pull away. Johnny doesn’t let go of his waist right away, instead looking at Jungwoo’s eyes in  _ that  _ way before saying. “Don’t be a stranger, alright? Have a nice class.” 

Jungwoo nods, and Johnny throws him one last blinding smile before stepping back and moving away, down the hallway. It takes a few seconds for Jungwoo to recover enough to step into the classroom, finding his usual seat at letting out a long, dreamy sigh. 

Safe to say, he’s a little too distracted by bow shaped lips and soft looking eyes to pay attention in class. 

Nothing beats the feeling of being  _ just _ out of midterms, except maybe being out of midterms on a Thirsty Thursday. 

Jungwoo leaves his last test feeling like a new man, and it doesn’t surprise him in the least when Doyoung texts him an essay rival to a subpoena about coming to their favorite bar tonight. The sophomore is aware he’s just trying to lure him with the promise of free drinks in order to have someone else to help drag a drunk Taeyong home later, but Jungwoo bites anyway; he’ll be third wheeling, yes, but going out with those two is always promise of blackmail material in the form of Taeyong drunk flirting with Doyoung and forgetting all about it the next morning. 

Doyoung’s only picking him up at 6pm, so when Jungwoo finds himself on his dorm after lunch there’s a strange restlessness that comes from having so much free time after not having a single minute to himself in the last few weeks. He runs a hand through his hair, the blond a little bit dry from not being looked after, and he figures it could probably use a mask before he goes out, so he walks into his tiny bathroom and starts searching through the mess of products he leaves there. 

Instead, Jungwoo finds a box he completely forgot about: an orange hair dye he bought months ago on a whim but never had the time to use, and that has just been gathering dust since then. He stares at it for a few minutes, then looks at his own ash blond locks and figures,  _ why not _ ? Twenty minutes later he has music blasting through his phone while he carefully applies the dye on himself (a risky decision, but something he has done before). 

After waiting the appropriate amount of time and washing it off, Jungwoo gets a sudden scare at looking at himself and seeing just how orange it turned out, especially after he dries it. It’s strange at first, but the more he looks at it the more he sort of digs it; he debates sending it to his friends and getting opinions, but decides it’ll probably be funnier if they don’t expect it. 

Usually, going out to this bar is a pretty casual deal and Jungwoo wouldn’t bother to dress up more than he does on day to day; however, he figures his new hair deserves a rightful debut, so he puts a little more effort on his pants and shirt, even applying some eyeliner. As he checks himself in the mirror one last time before leaving, he’s sort of feeling himself enough to decide taking a few mirror selfies. He’s not one to take many pictures of himself (though he never refuses posing to them), but they come out better than he expected and so before he changes his mind, the sophomore uploads his favorite on his barely-touched Instagram. 

Doyoung is punctual, as always, and looks at Jungwoo like he just grew another head the moment he opens the door. “What the? When? How?”. 

“Just now” Jungwoo cheekily smiles. “Do you like it?”

Doyoung shakes his head in disbelief. “I mean it sort of makes you look like Garfield but you know, a cute Garfield.”

“I can’t tell if that’s a compliment or not,” Jungwoo narrows his eyes while locking his door. “But thanks anyways”

They make their way down to leave the dorms, on the way to the 15 minute walk to leave campus. 

“Taeyong is meeting us there, he went a little earlier with his classmates” Doyoung sighs. 

Jungwoo makes a face. “He’ll probably be on his third Mojito by the time we’re there”. 

“That’s  _ if  _ we’re lucky, it’s double drinks tonight” Doyoung whines.

“Well,” Jungwoo throws his arms over his shorter hyung’s shoulders. “Guess you’ll have to bring him home and take care of him, then. What a shame.”

Doyoung looks at Jungwoo like he’s ready to give a snappy comeback, but suddenly gets distracted. “You mean  _ we _ are taking him home, right?”. 

“Nope” Jungwoo pops the p, sounding pleased. “I have to be home by 11pm”. 

Doyoung is dumbfounded. “You have a curfew or something?” 

“I have class tomorrow and also, it’s Thursday”. Jungwoo informs like it’s obvious. 

It takes a few seconds for the older to catch up on what he meant, and the look he gives Jungwoo afterwards in nothing but amused disappointment. “God, you’re so whipped. I expected better of you, Woo”. 

“Oh yeah, because going over to Taeyong’s at 3am to bring him Earl Tea cake is totally self respecting behaviour” Jungwoo deadpans, and then pushes on before Doyoung can argue. “Don’t try to deny it, Taeyong practically bragged to me about it”

They keep bantering about it the entire walk over, even if the obvious conclusion to be reached is that they’re both a little pathetic in their pining (something Jaehyun is more than glad to remind them every opportunity necessary). It’s early into the night, but there’s already a lot of people walking over to leave campus, which isn’t common on a Thursday (despite how thirsty) and is definitely a result of midterms: a lot of bars and clubs are having discounts tonight, and Jungwoo heard there’s a few house parties in the neighborhood as well. It feels like everyone is out to relax and have fun, and the energy is contagious. 

The bar they’re heading to is only two streets down from campus, placed right at the start of the most popular bar strip for NCTU students. Doyoung is the one who particularly favors it, mainly because they’re strict with ID’s, and getting rid of freshmen immediately makes sure the place isn’t half as packed as other bars around. They can just hang out, drink, watch Taeyong embarrass himself by challenging people to play pool and losing miserably; it might not be the number one place if you’re looking for an insane night out making out with strangers, but it has everything they actually care for: cheap alcohol and each other. 

Jungwoo can tell he’s drawing eyes as soon as he walks into the bar, and it’s a small but well deserved boost to his self-esteem. He doesn’t think he’d actually give the time of his day if anyone (that isn’t called Johnny Seo) approached him, but it’s been a while since he felt truly pretty (“College is terrible for our skin, hyung” Donghyuck, Lee), and it’s putting him in a good mood. Doyoung glances around looking for Taeyong as soon as they step inside, dragging Jungwoo behind him, but it takes a few minutes until the purple haired boy comes into view; he’s sitting in one of the bar stools, giggling flirtily with an unknown guy, and Jungwoo can see Doyoung hesitate to approach. He’s about to say something when Taeyong notices them, and without sparing a second glance towards the boy he was talking to, takes his drink and leaps out of his seat, running over and engulfing Doyoung in a hug. 

“Doooieeee” He exclaims happily. “You’re finally here! I saved you half my Mojito!” 

Jungwoo sees the tension in Doyoung’s shoulder melt away as he starts untangling himself from Taeyong, taking the offered cup from his hands. “Yeah? Half of your fifth?”

“No!” Taeyong pouts. “It’s only my second! I was waiting for you and Woo to-”

His eyes finally seem to leave Doyoung long enough to see his other friend, and his entire face lights up. “OH MY GOD WOO YOUR HAIR IS SO CUTE OH MY GOD” 

A drunk Taeyong is a very high energy Taeyong, so Jungwoo isn’t surprised when the older stars squealing loudly, touching his hair with his tiny hands. “I take it you like it, hyung? Not too orange?”

“It’s very orange,” Taeyong concedes, grinning. “But you look amazing! I’m so proud!”.

Taeyong hugs him because besides high energy, drunk Taeyong is also an avid cuddler, and Jungwoo wants to coo at how adorable his hyung can be like this. He’s also relieved the older seems to approve of his half hazard dyeing job because Taeyong is a pro when it comes to rocking a different hair color every month; sure, he’s drunk and might have an affected perception, but knowing Taeyong, that just would’ve made him blurt out an honest criticism otherwise. 

The bar is a little busier than usual, and therefore the trio can’t find a free booth; instead, they take one of the small standing tables, which immediately gets Doyoung to start whining about how he doesn’t want to stand all night and Jungwoo to shut him up by convincing the older to grab all of them a drink. Taeyong is currently hugging Doyoung’s left arm and talking his ear off about everything that happened before they arrived, and he doesn’t even glance back at Jungwoo before following the gummy smiled man to the bar. 

Jungwoo doesn’t like to be  _ that  _ person that whips out their phone the moment they’re standing alone, but the music right now isn’t anything much and he just wants to take a quick look at his notifications. Most of them are from the Instagram post, and he smiles as he strolls through the likes and comments.

**zeuswoo ** orange is the new i’m bored and unsupervised   
__ Read all 6 comments  
**jungjaes ** hey, now i’ll never lose you in a festival again!   
**kendrickleemark ** Hyung you look so good haha   
**fullsun ** Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique  
**johntography ** 😯😍🔥

Jungwoo swear he feels his heartbeat stop for half a second when he sees the comment. He clicks on the profile, just to be sure, but it’s obviously Johnny and that is his crush, commenting on his selfie, and Jungwoo might not be the most internet apt person out there, but that was definitely flirtatious, right? He can’t wait for his friends to be back so he can talk about it, and his wish is granted a few minutes later when he watches Doyoung walk over dangerously balancing two glasses and a bottle while Taeyong does nothing but lean on him and threaten to spill it all.

“Hyung, oh my god, I’m freaking out” Jungwoo starts talking as soon as Doyoung puts the drinks down. “Johnny hyung just commented on my picture!”

He’s met with a “No way! Let me see it!” from Taeyong and an uninterested “So what?” from Doyoung. Jungwoo chooses to ignore the latter and throws the phone in Taeyong’s hand, who doesn’t actually appear to be that intoxicated; a little drunk, sure, but probably playing it up for to get babied by their other friend. The eldest reads over the comment and immediately starts giggling and hooting, and Doyoung leans over to check it as well. 

“That’s flirting, right?” Jungwoo asks though he knows the answer. “I think he’s been flirting with me. I saw him last week and there was definitely a few comments, and we’ve been texting a lot too”. 

“Fucking finally” Doyoung rolls his eyes. “I can’t stand your pining anymore” 

“Don’t be a grump” Taeyong cutely sticks his tongue out, and Jungwoo wonders how blind he must be not to notice the way Doyoung looks at him with so much love, poorly disguised as exasperation. 

Jungwoo likes Johnny comment, as well as all the others, and decides he might answer later even though he never really replies to Instagram comments. He pockets his phone right after, decided to focus on having fun with his friends for now, but those three emojis make him feel a lot more giddy and excited than they probably should. He tips back the Soju bottle he’s drinking from (Jungwoo is a simple man -- no expensive cocktails, just some beer and he’s made), and throws his friends one of his blinding smiles, dimples out and twinkling eyes. 

“So,” He starts. “What’s been going on outside of the library? Catch me up” 

Jungwoo is still a little buzzed when he gets home, fifteen minutes late due to having Taeyong burst into tears when he announced that he was leaving, but it’s just the right amount of tipsy for him to feel in the best of moods, giddy and confident like nothing can bring him down. He’s a little disappointed he missed the entire opening for the show, but there’s still a lot left and so he immediately falls onto his bed, opening his laptop and pulling up the website. 

Johnny looks great, as always, and just the sight of his crush makes Jungwoo feel like a teenager again, all giggles and blushing cheeks even though he’s by himself. Tonight, the grad student is wearing an oversized blue t-shirt, all casual with his hair down and parted, and Jungwoo would give everything to smooch all over those wrinkly eyes and fluffy cheeks. 

The song playing is almost over, and Jungwoo watches as Johnny puts on his headphones again and reads more of the messages on the board, getting ready to start again. 

“That was Old Time Road by Lil Nas X, and you’re listening to NCTU’s Night Night. If you’ve just tuned in, tonight’s show is about parties, drinking, going out, anything of the sorts. If you have a funny story to help me feel better about spending a Thirsty Thursday by myself on this studio, please write it in”. 

Jungwoo decides to take off his makeup and change while listening, and he can’t help but laugh out loud at many of the stories people send in. There’s a girl who woke up to find a toast in place of her phone in the bed stand, and her phone in the microwave with a layer of cheese over it, and there was also a guy who put his beer soaked socks in someone else’s microwave to dry. His personal favorite is from a guy who came home, decided his roomba looked thirsty and poured an entire cup of water over it, because that sounds oddly similar to the time Lucas had a drunken argument with Mark over not watering their plants enough and then proceed to let them soak into the communal bathroom sink. 

“Someone just asked, ‘ _ JohnD, tell us one of your own recent drunk stories! _ ’ “ Johnny chuckles. “I’m afraid to disappoint but I don’t really have any that I haven’t told. I don’t actually go to undergrad party these days and I’ll tell you, grad students are all about crying over thesis while wine drunk, not huge ragers. We leave those for the young people with healthy livers”. 

The moment Jungwoo hears that, a grin spreads across his face, and this time, he doesn’t hesitate before scrolling down on the page and getting ready to write; the confidence from the alcohol and the thrill of having Johnny read his message last time powers him on, but there’s also the fact that Jungwoo has the  _ perfect _ story to send in tonight.

He types it as quickly as he can, immediately scrolling back to continue watching, monitoring Johnny’s every reaction while he reads the screen. He perks up when he watches the older burst out an embarrassed laugh, covering his blushing cheeks, because he’s almost certain he just hit jackpot. 

“This is a very painful message to read. “ ‘ _ John-D says he doesn’t go to undergrad parties anymore, but I remember seeing him at a senior’s party at the start of the year taking four soju bombs in a row and then doing a strip tease with Jung Jaehyun and Nakamoto Yuta in the living room. I almost dropped to my knees then and there, and up until this day I’ll say that drunk John-D is the sexiest John-D _ ’ ” He laughs by himself again, rubbing his face even though he can’t stop smiling. “Oh God, I completely forgot about that, but you had to expose me, didn’t you? That happened at my friend Ten’s birthday party, and I hate that there's a video evidence somewhere in my friend’s phones.”

He takes a deep breath, calming down his chuckles, and looks at the camera with a playful smirk. “Thank you for the compliment though, but if you think that’s the sexiest John-D… well, let’s just say you haven’t seen anything.  _ Yet _ ”. 

And then he winks, cheesy and invariably charming, and the noise Jungwoo lets out alone in his dorm is nothing but ungodly. 

** _mark owes jaehyun a new vape  
_ ** _ 8 members _

**yongie hyung 🍇  
** **[09:56pm]  
** everyone!!! get together in my apartment  
on sunday  
bring beer and i’ll provide snacks  😋  
i have something to tell so whoever doesn’t come is being taken off my christmas present list

**doie hyung 🐇  
** **[09:56pm]  
** I’m down

**jae-hyung 💢  
** **[09:57pm]**   
is the thing you wanna tell us that you and doyoung are finally boning  
if so i already know   
you’re not quiet hyung

**doie hyung 🐇  
** **[09:57pm]  
** I’ll Fight You

**markles 👶🏻  
** **[09:58pm]  
** OMG  
Really??

**xuxi 🍣  
** **[09:58pm]  
** finally!!!!! my parents!!!!!  
😭😭👨👨👦

**hyuckie 👿  
** **[09:58pm]  
** taeyong is my dad  
find your own lucas

**markles 👶🏻  
** **[09:59pm]  
** I thought Johnny hyung was your dad 

**hyuckie 👿  
** **[09:59pm]  
** they co-parent

**xuxi 🍣  
** **[10:00pm]  
** hyuck we’re half brothers 🥺

**yongie hyung 🍇  
** **[10:02pm]  
** oh my god  
all of you shut up  
we’re not boning  
we’re dating 😤  
thanks for ruining the surprise jaehyun hope you like getting something from the dollar store for christmas 👺

**jae-hyung 💢  
** **[10:02pm]  
** can it be sound cancelling ear plugs  
so i don’t have to hear your moaning

**markles 👶  
** **[10:03pm]  
** 😂😂😂😂

**xuxi 🍣  
** **[10:03pm]  
** FHAOERIFAOEIRFJAEOFAEF  
but don’t worry i’m still going hyung 😤💞

**markles 👶🏻  
** **[10:04pm]  
** Me too

**jae-hyung 💢  
** **[10:05pm]  
** If i say no your boyfriend will drag me anyway so

**doie hyung 🐇  
** **[10:05pm]  
** 🙃

**johnny hyung 💘  
** **[10:06pm]  
** hahahaha  
i’m happy for you guys!!!   
but i don’t think i can go :( i’m a little late on my reading

**yongie hyung 🍇  
** **[10:07pm]  
** that’s ok!!! we know you’re busy hyung   
and thank you 🥰

**me  
** **[10:08pm]  
** FIRST OF ALL  
I Told You So  
and i can’t believe you didn’t tell me first doyoung  
i’m betrayed   
💔  
my forgiveness can be bought with red velvet cake

**doie hyung 🐇  
** **[10:09pm]  
** 🙄🙄🙄🙄  
counter proposal  
i’ll pick you up and drop you off

**me  
** **[10:09pm]  
** you drive a hard bargain  
but alright  
i’ll go 😌

**johnny hyung 💘  
** **[10:10pm]  
** actually 😅  
i think i can drop by  
i might be able to read a little tonight after class 

**jae-hyung 💢  
** **[10:10pm]  
** how convenient   
👀

**doie hyung 🐇  
** **[10:11pm]  
** 👀

**me  
** **[10:11pm]  
** 😄 that’s great!  
we’ll all be there  
💖💖💖💖💖

**johnny hyung 💘  
** **[10:12pm]  
** yeah haha  
i miss you   
guys 

**hyuckie 👿  
** **[10:13pm]  
** smooth, hyung. 

  
  
  
  


There’s nothing like the chaos of being around your best friends.

Having all of them together is loud, messy and usually involve multiple death threats, but it’s also the most fun Jungwoo has at any given moment. It’s been a while since they’ve had the chance to meet up like this, and even if things are just a little bit different with Taeyong comfortably perched on Doyoung’s lap, it’s too comfortable to have Mark and Donghyuck bickering on his left while Lucas switches between three languages trying to tell a single story on his right. 

Jungwoo is just half paying attention to Jaehyun and Donghyuck arguing over whether it’s a waste or not for Jaehyun to use his Nintendo Switch almost exclusively to play Mario Kart, when there’s a few knocks on the door. Jungwoo tries to be discreet as he perks up to look over the couch at who just arrived, and he’s not disappointed to see the tall object of his affections crossing the doorstep, smiling and hugging Taeyong. 

“Hey guys” He announces as he comes over, and while everyone else offer their bright greetings, Jungwoo almost blushes at the fact that Johnny is only looking at him as he approaches. The sophomore throws him a wide smile, and lets an inner squeal when the boy settles down right on his side at the couch. 

“Hey. I love your new hair” Is the first thing that Johnny says, and if Jungwoo wasn’t blushing, he is now. 

“Oh, thank you hyung” Jungwoo chuckles. “How are you?”

“Well, you know. There’s a few classes kicking my ass and I’m behind on planning for Night Night, so I’ve been busy.” He shrugs. “This is probably the first time I’ve left my apartment for something fun in two weeks” 

“Really? If I would’ve known we would have planned something more fun” Jungwoo pouts. “We’re just laying around drinking and talking”. 

Johnny chuckles, and Jungwoo doesn’t miss the way his left arm falls on the backrest of the couch, right where the younger’s head is at. “Don’t worry, I promise just talking to you is more than enough fun”. 

And there it is, the flirty comments that are getting just a little more shameless these days. Jungwoo isn’t complaining -- if anything, he’s on cloud 9, more than a little hopeful that his crush might be just a little bit reciprocated -- but it does make him wonder, how out of the blue it all started. Johnny and Jungwoo have known each other for over a year, but suddenly, this semester, the older started to make such an avid effort to become closer to him. 

He’s not about to look a gift horse on the mouth though, and instead lets himself bask on the attention Johnny gives him -- and believe it, tonight, it’s  _ a lot _ . Jungwoo had a hunch Johnny only decided to come because of him (the chat conversation more than enough), but it’s more than obvious with the fact that the older spends almost the entire night next to him. Their friends tease them about it, especially with how at points it seems like the two are huddled in their own world talking to each other, but Jungwoo couldn’t care less when he gets to hear Johnny laugh loudly at his jokes and tell stories of his childhood in Chicago. 

“So,” Johnny asks once the conversation dulls for a little bit, and when Jungwoo glances at him, he swears the older seems a little nervous. “Do you  _ actually  _ tune in to Night Night every week? Jaehyun says you do, but you know him…” 

Jungwoo chuckles, nodding. “I do! I think I’ve only missed a week since you started, when I was sick. It’s really fun, hyung!”

“Really?” Johnny’s eyes twinkle. “Why do you like it so much?”

_ That’s a trick question _ , Jungwoo thinks, because he can’t tell him his favorite part is feeling like he’s closer to Johnny everytime. “I really like hearing the stories, they’re funny and touching. Also, it’s a great time slot because it helps me fall asleep”. 

Johnny gasps, pretending to be hurt. “Are you saying I  _ bore you to sleep _ ?”

Jungwoo pushes him, rolling his eyes. “ _ No _ , I’m saying you have a very soothing voice, hyung. It’s a compliment.”

“I know, I know” Johnny smiles fondly. “Thank you. For the compliment and for always tuning in”. 

Jungwoo doesn’t know what to answer, so he just smiles back, and then takes a glance around the room. It seems like everyone’s energy is getting lower the later it gets, with Taeyong drifting off on Doyoung’s chest while the younger is having a quiet conversation with Jaehyun. Lucas, Mark and Donghyuck are playing a card game, and every now or then a small argument will break out, usually ended by a glare from Doyoung. 

Jungwoo looks at his phone and sees it’s already 00:23, which means it’s time for him to turn in for the night. He finds Doyoung’s eyes across the room and the older nods, understanding, and then whispers something on Taeyong’s ear. 

Jungwoo sits up straight and stretches. “I gotta go, it’s getting late and I think Jaehyun and Doyoung are walking me home”. 

Johnny perks up. “Oh, do you all want a ride? I brought my car tonight.”

“You don’t have to, hyung” Jungwoo’s eyebrows furrow. “It’s just a half an hour walk to my dorms”. 

“It’s fine, Doyoung and Jaehyun’s apartment are on the way to mine anyway so it’s not a problem”. He looks at the other two mentioned. “Hey, you two, I’m dropping the three of you home”. 

“Cool” Jaehyun yawns. 

“Are you leaving too?” Doyoung asks the freshmen, but Mark shakes his head. 

“We’re going to play a few more rounds then take an Uber” He explains. “Plus, somebody has to help Taeyong hyung clean or he’s not sleeping until 3am”. 

They share their goodbyes, Taeyong making all of them promise they’re texting him once they’re home and then sharing a much too intimate kiss with Doyoung that makes all of them look away. Jungwoo gets on the passenger seat of Johnny’s car, which is simple but clean and fragrant, and Doyoung and Jaehyun climb into the back. 

Johnny engages in conversation with the other two as they drive home, but Jungwoo is more than satisfied just staying there, listening and enjoying the end to a great night. He wishes he had the guts to reach over and hold Johnny’s hand, but even if they’ve made progress he’s not confident enough for something so direct, and besides, his two best friends are seating on the back ready to tease him till his death bed, so it’s better not. 

Jungwoo dorm comes in view less than fifteen minutes later, and Johnny pulls over. Jungwoo takes his seatbelt off, turning back and saying goodbye to his friends on the back seat; he’s ready to do the same to Johnny when the older unbuckles himself too.

“I’ll walk to the door” He says, a little nervous, and Jungwoo blushes. 

Jaehyun and Doyoung make all sorts of hoots and kissing sounds, and Jungwoo rushes out of the car rolling his eyes; his heart is beating faster though, drunk on the idea that something might happen. It’s a short walk until the building entrance, and Jungwoo turns to the older then, expecting. 

“I- I kind of want to talk to you” Johnny starts, looking conflicted. “But… I don’t think right now it’s the moment. So I was wondering if maybe you’d like to meet Friday? After your morning class?”. 

Jungwoo’s ear are buzzing, but he nods before he can even think about it. “Yeah, sure. Can you tell me what it’s about?”

“No spoilers” Johnny smiles, looking a little more relaxed now that Jungwoo said yes. “But it’s important, I think. Hence why I don’t wanna do it here, with those two doofuses watching”. 

He points over his shoulder in the direction of the car, and sure enough, Doyoung and Jaehyun aren’t even pretending they’re not trying to eavesdrop. Jungwoo laughs, nodding and looking back at Johnny. “Alright, friday it is, hyung. You can pick me up after my class.”

There’s no kiss goodnight, obviously, but Jungwoo gets to be on Johnny’s embrace for a little bit, addicted to the way he fits in so nice even though he’s only a tiny bit shorter than his hyung. He waves the other two bye as well, both pretending to boo at the lack of kiss and Jaehyun making obvious gestures indicating he wants to be texted details, but soon enough, he watches as Johnny drives away.

No one is surprised that for the entire week, all Jungwoo thinks and talks about it’s his almost date with Johnny. 

_ Almost _ , because he’s not actually certain it’s a date, even though it sounds a lot like it, but he’s sure he’ll find out when the time comes. Meanwhile, he pesters all of his friends about what to wear, or theories about what Johnny wants to tell him, which varies from the most pessimistic (Johnny knows he likes him and wants to let him down easy) to the most daydream worthy (A romantic lunch followed by a heartfelt confession). 

Life goes on though, Johnny almost date or not, so on the Thursday before Jungwoo is at Jaehyun’s apartment, perched on the end of his bed trying to focus long enough to write at least two hundred more words before 11pm. Jaehyun thinks it’s stupid, that Jungwoo is pausing his essay writing to wath the show even though he’s seeing Johnny the next day, but he doesn’t quite understand that listening to Night Night it’s an tradition, one that Jungwoo feels weird just at the thought of breaking. 

“You should watch with me” Jungwoo offers, already setting up his laptop. “He mentions you sometimes, you know”. 

“I know, he usually tells me about it later and then I listen” Jaehyun continues typing away. “But unless Johnny’s writing this last two thousand words in the next hour, I think I’ll pass.” 

Jungwoo shrugs, connecting his headphones. “Your loss.”

The younger isn’t surprised to see Johnny’s outfit when he appears on the screen tonight, because twenty minutes ago the older sent him a cute selfie pouting to motivate him on the essay writing and therefore the Jungwoo has already done his due amount of freaking out over the fact that he looks disgustingly sexy wearing a backwards snapback and a stylish red and white t-shirt. He does see the way Johnny is holding an extra large americano in his hands even though he promised him he’d try to cut back on the coffee intake, and makes a mental note to scold him about it later. 

“ ‘ _ The future is there… looking back at us. Trying to make sense of the fiction we will have become _ ’. NCTU’S Night Night”. 

The show’s short jingle plays, and Johnny adjusts his headset and takes one last sip of his coffee. 

“Hello everyone, it is me, Johnny, as it has been for a long time. Today’s opening quote is from Willian Gibson, and it makes today’s theme for the show quite obvious, because tonight, we’re talking about the future. I know,  _ I know _ , I can hear all of you letting out a sigh right now, but believe me, I feel just as uncertain about it as all of you, which is why tonight is the night to let it out. Tell me about your plans, your dreams, your fears, anything you want to say. Nietzsche once said that the future affects the present just as much as the past, and I want to hear how the day after tomorrow is shaping up the you from now”. 

Johnny isn’t surprised to hear about tonight’s theme either, because Johnny actually asked his opinion on it a few days ago. It makes the younger feel good, to be in such a place of importance to Johnny that his input matters, and as the show goes on and Jungwoo listens to all the stories people are sending, he thinks that he made the right decision telling Johnny this was the perfect thing to talk about tonight. As the end of the semester approaches, a lot of people are stressed about being on their last semester soon, one of them Doyoung, for example; having a place to hear about others in the same situation, or see Johnny lighten up the situation by cracking jokes and giving his pep talks, Jungwoo really hopes it’s of comfort to them. 

“This message asks ‘ _ John-D, how do you see yourself in ten years? _ ’ Well, in ten years I’ll be 35 years old, which is a little scary to think about. I hope I have a nice job by then, something in education, though I’m not sure what, and call me a romantic, but perhaps married to a nice guy or girl, too. Maybe with a kid of the way, or something cheesy like that” He lets out an embarrassed laugh, though Jungwoo finds it adorable. _ Johnny _ is adorable. “Now, the next song was personally requested by a friend of mine, Nakamoto Yuta, who better be listening. This is ‘ODD FUTURE’, by Uverworld.”

Jungwoo wasn’t actually planning on sending anything tonight; it’s been a while since he last did, because the closer he gets to Johnny, the last thrilling these messages are. Still, he can’t stop thinking about a cute little thing he can do to make the older smile, and so he scrolls down like he’s used to now, and starts typing. 

A little before the song finishes playing, Jungwoo feels a light kick on his thigh. “I’m done, Woo. Take off your headphones, I can listen to the last twenty minutes or so”. 

Jungwoo beams at his best friend, immediately scooting over on the bed so that they’re shoulder to shoulder and Jaehyun can see the screen as well. “You’re just in time! I sent in something and Johnny might read it”. 

Jaehyun hums, smiling affectionately in the way he does sometimes when Jungwoo gets all excited about something, and then the song is over and he’s being hushed even though he hasn’t said a single word. 

“That was ‘ODD FUTURE’, by Uverworld, which I hope has given all of you some energy this late at night. Now, onto some more messages”. 

Johnny reads a few stories, and Jaehyun annoyingly asks Jungwoo everytime if that’s his, almost making the younger regret offering to share the moment. It’d be really disappointing if the one time someone’s there to presence it is the first time Johnny ignores one of his messages, but finally, it seems like it’s Jungwoo’s lucky day. 

“  _ ‘John-D, how fortunate; I, too, wish to be married and with a cute little demon running around in ten years. Maybe the two of us can work something out; I’m certain we would make the world’s cutest baby alive’  _ ” Johnny turns red at the message, a shy smile on his face, and Jungwoo shakes Jaehyun, more than obvious. “Well, I am sold. How about we start picking baby names?”. 

Jungwoo swoons, and hears Jaehyun laugh loudly on his side. “Oh my god, Woo, I can’t believe you had the guts to send this in. I’m impressed!”. 

Jungwoo smiles brightly, proud. “I know, I’ve sent a bunch of them before. It’s anonymous so it doesn’t matter but I like seeing him react to it”. 

Jaehyun’s face immediately freezes at that, and his expression slowly processes what he just heard. “Wait… Jungwoo… you know it’s not actually anonymous, right?”. 

The younger looks back at him, confused. “What? Of course it is, he says it all the time”. 

Jaehyun is still staring at him in disbelief. “ _ Right _ , but what he means is that it’s anonymous in the sense that he won’t read your name in the air. He can still see the ID and picture that sent the message”. 

Jungwoo’s blood runs cold. 

“Y-You mean to tell me,” He starts, after a minute of staring at his friend. “That all this time that I’ve been sending all this cheesy, borderline horny things to Night Night, Johnny has known all along that it was me?”. 

Jaehyun wants to laugh, he can see, but the older at least has the decency to try and hold it in. “Look at the bright side, at least you don’t need to confess anymore. He already knows and considering he’s been all over you, I’d say he feels the same”. 

And yes, that’s one thing going through Jungwoo’s mind, but it’s slightly overwhelmed by the feeling of absolute mortification of all the things he’s written in the last few months. He can’t believe he was so stupid as not to properly read the disclaimer on the top of the message box, which he can now see, clearly states that the host and the producers can see who wrote the messages. 

It suddenly all makes sense too, the way Johnny has been acting, out of nowhere. He thinks back on his reaction to the first message, on the conversation they’ve had afterwards, on Johnny fishing to know if Jungwoo knew that he knew. He also thinks about everything that unfolded afterwards, the times they’ve hung out, the texting,  _ the flirting _ . It makes an anxious feeling settle in the pit of Jungwoo’s stomach, the fear that everything he’s been getting from Johnny is nothing more than the older’s pity, or worse, that’s he’s playing with him (he doesn’t actually think Johnny would ever do something like that, but he’s a little panicked at the moment, so logic isn’t the first thing on his mind). 

And then, it hits him, and he’s pissed. How  _ dare  _ Johnny leave him in the dark for months, letting him make a fool of himself when he knew all along? 

He wants to punch Johnny Seo, and he wants to do it right now. 

Jungwoo has half a mind that he should change out of his Snoopy pajamas once he starts marching through Jaehyun’s apartment, Uber already opened on his phone and angry typing for the address to the communications building where the radio is at. It’s a fifteen minutes ride, which means he’ll be there just after the end of the show, and Jungwoo ignores Jaehyun running after him, asking where the hell he’s going, in order to go down the stairs and wait on the curb. 

“Don’t do anything stupid, Jungwoo, let him explain himself!” Jaehyun screams from the window of his apartment, and the younger pretends not to listen. “And come over afterwards if you need. I’ll be up!”

He jumps in the Uber with a hundred plans as what he’s going to say, how he’s going to murder Johnny and then never speak to him again, but the longer it takes, the more nerves start outweighing the anger, and he begins feeling insecure about this. He’s suddenly aware of how he looks, on his pajamas ready to throw a fit, and thinks if maybe it’s better that he goes back to Jaehyun’s and talks to Johnny in the morning, when he has a better game plan. 

But before he has the chance to change his mind, it’s already his drop off, and Jungwoo’s heart stops at the sight of Johnny leaving the building, a little earlier than expected. He waves goodbye to his producer, and before he can turn and leave, his eyes meet Jungwoo’s and widen in surprise and confusion.

_ It’s now or never _ , Jungwoo thinks as he steps out the car, and tries to look more confident than he feels. There’s no one but them on the street right now, which makes it a little better, but Jungwoo knows that might not be for long. 

“Woo? Is everything ok? What’s going on?” Johnny asks, stepping closer and sounding genuinely concerned. His eyes are kind and so, _ so  _ warm, and it makes something similar to anger build up in Jungwoo’s chest again, so he punches him. 

Well, he punches him in the chest, but still. 

He does it a few times too, taking advantage of the surprise factor before Johnny stops him easily, confused. “Wow, wow, what’s going on?”

“I can not fucking believe you  _ knew  _ and you didn’t say anything” Jungwoo says between his teeth. “I’ve been sending those in for  _ months _ and you didn’t think once to say ‘ _ Oh, by the way, I’m totally aware of all your embarrassing thoughts about me _ ’?” 

Jungwoo can see the moment realization dawns on Johnny, and he stops trying to fight the punches, letting Jungwoo’s hand fall sheepishly. He’s flushing all over, and there’s nothing but dread and regret all over his face. “Jungwoo, I’m so sorry. I was going to tell you, I swear, that’s what tomorrow’s date was for”. 

Jungwoo hates his traitorous heart fluttering at the word  _ date _ . “ _ Now _ ? After months?” 

“I know, I know!” Johnny adds on. “Look- When you first wrote in, I was so surprised I could barely believe it. I always thought you were cute but you always seemed like you were maybe a little scared of me or something so I just kept to myself, but when I read what you said it all made sense and I couldn’t believe my luck. But then after talking to you I realized you had no idea I knew it was your message to begin with, and I didn’t want to embarrass you by saying something right away, so I thought that maybe I should try and get closer to you first and then do it. But then you kept sending in messages and I kept wanting to spend time with you and I-” He lets out a sigh, looking defeated. “I was a coward, ok? I didn’t want to have you upset so I never found the right time to say it. And I liked reading what you sent in too, as selfish as that sounds, and I didn’t want it to stop.” 

Jungwoo is silent for a while, processing through everything he just heard, though he knows his anger is already shimmering away; he wasn’t truly angry to begin with, just embarrassed and scared, and looking at Johnny right now, vulnerable and genuine, he lets himself go just a little bit. 

“Did you mean it?” He asks, voice small and taking a step closer to the older. “All the time you’ve spent with me, the flirting. Did you mean it or was it just… pity, or whatever?”

Johnny looks taken aback by that, almost hurt. “ _ What?  _ Jungwoo, no, of course I meant it.”

He takes a tentative step, until they’re close enough he can reach to hold the younger hands. Jungwoo lets him. “I really, really like you Jungwoo. You’re smart, and sweet, and has the wittiest sense of humor even if not everyone appreciates it. You have the kindest heart, always so worried about doing the right thing, and you give so much of you to everyone you love. You worry a lot and I wish you didn’t but I still find so admirable that you’re so focused, ambitious, and that you dedicate yourself so much to what you love. You’re young Jungwoo, so young, but you’re already so much more mature than a lot of people I know, probably a lot more mature than me, too. I could stand here all day and list everything I see when I look at you, if it would make you believe that I’m being sincere right now. I like you, Kim Jungwoo, and I understand if you don’t wanna look at me anymore, but please don’t doubt that”. 

Jungwoo feels his eyes prickle with tears, and his heart is soaring despite how stunned he feels. That is probably one of the sweetest things he’s ever had anyone tell him, and it’s made even better when it’s  _ Johnny _ saying it. 

He wants to kiss Johnny, right now.

So he does. 

And it’s soft, so soft, how their lips press together in the tamest of kisses. Johnny lets a tiny gasp into it, surprised, and slowly, tentative, places careful hands on Jungwoo’s waist, as if he wants to make sure the younger doesn't feel trapped. The sophomore appreciated the gesture but doesn’t actually care for it, throwing his arms around the taller’s shoulder and pressing closer, kissing him with more eagerness, hoping that Johnny understands that he  _ needs this _ . 

Eventually, Johnny hugs him closer, more certain, and Jungwoo’s entire body feels alive at the feeling of finally being in the arms of the man he’s been pining over for over a year. Johnny’s hand presses firmly against the small of his back, and Jungwoo lets his fingers run softly on his nape, wishing that the older wasn’t wearing a hat so that the could finally run his hand through the brown, soft locks. Jungwoo barely has to open his lips for Johnny to understand what he wants, and the slow way they discover each other’s mouth makes Jungwoo feel drunk on the passion overflowing from their hearts everytime their tongues touch.

Jungwoo doesn’t want to let go, but they’re standing in the street and he’s wearing pajamas, so after a few minutes he takes the initiative to start slowing it down, back to small pecks, liplocks. He looks at Johnny, cupping the older’s cheek in an intimate gesture, and they just stare at each other sappily for a little bit. 

He’s still annoyed, and the embarrassment comes back to the surface every time his mind remembers everything he’s said, but it’s easier than it should be to forgive the older when he knows Johnny meant no harm, and when he stares at eyes that are so bright, hopeful and shining with so many questions the older won’t dare to ask. 

Jungwoo beams at him, and Johnny’s smile is so bright his eyes are all but tiny lines, small dimples poking high on his cheeks. He turns his head, leaving a light kiss on the palm of Jungwoo’s hand, filled with tenderness.

They’ll be fine. 

(“So, have you thought of names?” Johnny asks suddenly, a week later as he picks up Jungwoo after class. 

“What?”

“You know,” He smirks, so cheeky. “For our beautiful babies”.) 

**Author's Note:**

> i miss jungwoo. 
> 
> here are johnny's outfits for night night: [one](https://t1.daumcdn.net/cfile/tistory/99886A3359EDFF6B31)  
[two](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcRmGqZXUF5uTqWCZjrPB1K4OqnZ3lG2Q0HYDU2yP5t0E_TfNi2Q)  
[three](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcTxnvblAIgjCKj9GGtl4lY1F_LAUPlbjSKfsta7zi3CFc97DsYC)  
[twitter](https://twitter.com/seokuns)  
[curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/johnkun)


End file.
